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#5 Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tetsuya Naito (WWE vs. NJPW)
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Our next entry in this WWE vs. NJPW list is a matchup that has taken place in the past, but the dynamic would be very different now. Shinsuke Nakamura is one of the greatest competitors to ever step foot in New Japan. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion was the promotion's top star for quite some time.
However, his run with the Intercontinental Championship might have surpassed all his work before that. "The King of Strong Style" elevated the secondary title to be viewed as on par with the top title. He thrust the gold to the main event spot on big events and made it prestigious. When Nakamura left for WWE, a big void was left in the Intercontinental Championship scene.
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This is where Tetsuya Naito stepped in. During Nakamura's run in NJPW, Naito was "The Stardust Genius". He was a white meat babyface, more akin to a lesser version of Hiroshi Tanahashi. For the final year of Nakamura in New Japan, Naito returned from an excursion, an evolved version of himself. Forming the Los Ingobernables de Japon stable, his Tranquilo demeanor changed him forever.
With Shinsuke off to WWE, Naito defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship just a few months after his departure. After dropping that title, he would win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship later that same year. Naito became the standard bearer of this title, bringing it back to the level of prestige that Nakamura gave to the gold.
This confrontation has totally changed now. Nakamura has had success in WWE, winning the NXT, Intercontinental and United States Championships during his run with the company, but to many fans, he has never felt like "The King of Strong Style" of the past. In many ways, Naito took and filled Nakamura's spot in NJPW perfectly.
Naito's LIJ stable has become the top faction in all of NJPW and a legit merchandise mover for the promotion. His success rivals that of Nakamura's and would create resentment from both men. Both men possess hard-hitting strikes and a unique charisma that would keep fans engaged in this WWE vs. NJPW encounter. It would be a match that no one could keep their eyes off of for sure.
